The Record of Orc Civilization

"Your aunt's name is Zilya Valya," Cila said casually, like a bright day with a gentle breeze.

But Artur and Rini's responses were completely different. "WHAATTT?!" they both exclaimed, shocked, as if it were a dark night with thunderous storms.

"Ah? Didn't you hear me? Let me repeat it. Your aunt's name is Zilya Val--"

Artur quickly interrupted before his mouth could open wider. "Wait a minute, Mother! Are you talking about Zilya Valya from the ex-mana ruling family, House of Valya?"

Cila looked at him strangely, not understanding Artur's question. "Of course, is there another family in the human alliance audacious enough to name themselves Valya?"

Although the House of Valya no longer held the same power and influence as during the era of the mana ruling family, they were still feared and respected to this day. So it was extremely rare for a family to dare to name themselves the same as the ex-mana ruling family.

Artur tried to regain his composure in his seat but failed. "How can our family be connected to Zilya Valya?!"

With the same calmness, Cila answered, "Of course, it's because your grandfather remarried, and his new wife gave birth to a daughter around your age."

This time, Rini couldn't maintain her composure either. "WAIT, What?"

"I've already mentioned before that due to certain events, I ran away from my original home and settled in the city of Heles. I despised both of my parents, but my father continued to try and persuade me to return. He always communicated through letters that I sent to him. After I married Gilbert, he stopped sending me letters. However, after more than 30 years had passed, he resumed sending those letters, and among them were letters from his new wife and my stepsister." Cila recalled the process of repairing her relationship with her father.

"Although I resented my father greatly, it didn't mean I had the right to hate his new wife or stepsister. They were both innocent and had nothing to do with the suffering I had endured. Eventually, I started replying to my new mother and stepsister's letters. That's how I found out that my stepsister also entered the military academy in the same year as Artur," Cila finished explaining.

However, Artur and Rini still couldn't calm down, and they didn't even understand what Cila was explaining. Although Cila spoke in a language they understood, their ears seemed to only hear gibberish coming out of Cila's mouth.

"Wait a minute, Mother! Are you from the House of Valya? Didn't you say your family is a mage family? Why did your family suddenly become the ex-mana ruling family?" Artur tried to bring the issue back to the beginning.

Cila simply nodded. "Yes, I am from a mage family. After the first mana species war ended, the House of Valya no longer interfered in the political affairs of noble families. They focused on replenishing the number of mages in their family who had been killed during the war. That's why the House of Valya can no longer be called a noble family."

Artur still couldn't accept it. "How is it possible that I am actually a child of the House of Valya?"

Cila finally understood the source of her son's confusion. "Why not? You are my child, and the House of Valya never officially disowned me from the family. It was only me who never acknowledged my original family, but you are still the grandson of my father. Haven't you noticed your snow-white hair? Only the descendants of the House of Valya have hair characteristics like that."

When Cila finished saying that, Artur and Rini were shocked. Rini immediately looked at Artur and Cila and noticed the white, straight hair of both mother and son, like a curtain of snow. Although Artur's hair appeared more silver due to his mixed genes from Gilbert, Cila's hair was truly white, straight, and thick, like a pile of snow curtains.

Artur recalled several incidents when Zilya Valya came to help him without reason. Initially, he thought that the arrival of the strongest woman in the Demon's Slayer generation was because she wanted to have a connection with Robert. Or perhaps the House of Valya, which had remained silent, decided to secretly establish cooperation with the Gaht family.

But he never expected that Zilya's presence was not to assist Robert but to ensure the well-being of her nephew.

Artur pondered, remembering the beautiful woman with flawless white skin and long, flowing snow-white hair. The freezing wind seemed to surround her, and her deadly ice sword emitted vibrations that made her enemies' knees tremble. She was a figure that could be likened to an ice goddess.

Seeing the two teenagers in front of her stunned and unable to say anything, Cila just smiled. She reached into her dress pocket and took out a folded envelope containing a letter.

"This is a letter that was sent by my stepmother this morning. I've already read it, and its contents left me a bit stunned. Zilya Valya is getting married in a few weeks, and she wants both you and me to attend the wedding. Initially, I wanted to decline, but it seems that you need the help of your aunt to make your own wedding happen." Cila placed the letter in front of Artur and Rini.

Artur, still frozen, couldn't react. It was Rini who took the letter and read it. As Cila had said, Zilya invited Artur and his mother to attend her wedding.

However, there was one thing that Cila didn't explain: the House of Valya's desire to accept Cila and her two children back into their fold. The condition was that Cila had to divorce Gilbert first and leave the city of Heles.

Seeing Rini staring at her, Cila commented, "I don't want to go back to the House of Valya. There are too many bad memories associated with that place, and I don't want to revisit them. I'm already very happy with my own life. But I won't stop both of you from going there and reclaiming Artur's interrupted lineage. That way, he will have enough background to be accepted by the Djarum family."

Rini couldn't say anything. She wanted Artur to accept the offer from the House of Valya, but this wasn't about her—it was about Artur and his family. She had no right to interfere in this matter.

"Mother, what about you? Should I leave you and Dad to join the House of Valya?" After a while, Artur finally said something.

Cila smiled and shook her head. "They will never accept Gilbert, who is just a commoner, and your father himself doesn't know my origins clearly. He only thinks that I'm a broken home child from a mage family. I want him to keep thinking that way so as not to add to his sadness. But if you go there, it won't be a problem. Zilya has reported all your achievements during your time at the military academy, and the House of Valya is quite satisfied with them. They are eager to have a mage like you in their family. As for me...

"You don't need to worry. We will still be mother and son. You will still be a member of the Morris family. If you miss me, both of you can come back home. Oh, don't forget to bring your children. This house is too big and quiet without the laughter of children."

Artur was stunned, as was Rini. She couldn't hold back her tears, which spilled down her cheeks. Artur got up from his seat and tightly embraced Cila.

"Mother..."

"Calm down, my son. You must go there with your head held high, show that you are not lowly, and don't embarrass me. Marry your dream woman and reach for your aspirations as high as the sky. I will wait here and continue to support you!"

Artur released his embrace and looked deeply into his mother's face. With a slightly hoarse voice, he said, "Thank you, Mother." Then Artur suddenly knelt down and kissed his mother's feet.

Cila tried to stop him, but Artur, being stronger, couldn't be forced. Artur, who knelt before his mother, promised to make this resilient woman live a happy life forever.

Rini watched the interaction between mother and son with tears streaming down her face. She never expected that her selfishness would be the beginning of all this. A slight sense of guilt arose in Rini's heart, but she quickly dispelled it by promising to make Artur the happiest man so that Cila wouldn't regret marrying her son with her.

At that moment, the sound of the front door opening was heard. Footsteps followed, and the voice of a man rang out, "Cila, has Artur come home? Ah... what are you doing?"

Gilbert, who had just returned from work, was surprised to see Artur kissing his mother's feet. He no longer worked as a gatekeeper but had become a staff member at the office of the Heles city guard. When he heard that Artur had come home, his boss gave Gilbert the opportunity to take the day off and spend time with his family.

"Gilbert, did you get the day off today? Ah... Artur, come and greet your father first."

Artur heard Cila's command, got up from his kneeling position, and hugged his father. "Father, I'm home," he said. Although he still remembered Gilbert being drunk and hitting him, Artur understood that it was only Gilbert's outburst of helplessness when he couldn't do anything when Anna disappeared. His father always blamed himself for being too harsh on Anna, which led his daughter to do something reckless.

"My son, you've grown up," Gilbert said. Then he glanced at the beautiful red-haired girl who stood silently with teary eyes.

Artur let go of his embrace and introduced Rini before she could say anything. "Father, this is Rini Djarum, my fiancée!"